The construction of Monreale Cathedral: between myth and history
Over the centuries, a number of hypotheses have emerged regarding the foundation of the Cathedral of Monreale. The most widely known of these is that William II
, overcome by tiredness during a hunting trip inside the Royal Park created by Roger II
, dozed off under the fronds of a majestic carob tree and witnessed the apparition of the Virgin Mary in a dream.
After having revealed to him the secret of a “ truvature
“, she told him that he should build a temple there, dedicated to her.
The episode, linked to the dream, was artistically recounted in a painting by Gioacchino Martorana
, currently kept in the Diocesan Museum of Monreale. The story of the discovery of treasure was represented in the large painting by Giuseppe Velasco
, which adorns the staircase of the former Benedictine convent complex.
The construction of the Monreale Cathedral, which was characterised by a multifaceted stylistic syncretism, not only underlined the clear intention to promote political harmony between different civilisations, but also reflected the profound religious nature of the Norman sovereign. He succeeded in consolidating the influence of Western Christianity by engaging in a fruitful and calm dialogue with the Byzantine-Oriental and Muslim-Arab cultures from the year of his coronation in 1172.
Alongside the Cathedral, surrounded by a flourishing natural setting, work began on the foundation of the Royal Palace
in the same year, followed in 1176 by the construction of the Benedictine Monastery
adjacent to it. The construction of the entire Benedictine complex of Monreale also reflects the self-celebratory intent of William II, who aimed to compete with Archbishop Gualtiero
’s reconstruction of Palermo Cathedral in terms of magnificence..
However, while both advocated for the strengthening of Western Latin historical and religious traditions in Sicily, they had different goals. Through the golden mosaics decorating the interior of the Monreale Cathedral, the Norman king manifested the importance of an intimate dialogue between the work of art and the observer, with the precious pictorial cycles taken from the stories of the Holy Scriptures. On the contrary, the Archbishop of Palermo focused on the external beauty of the Cathedral, as a symbol of the power of the spirit, manifested through a rich architectural palimpsest.
Characteristics of religious architecture in the romanesque period
Transformations over the centuries
Interior decorations
The Bible carved in stone
A palimpsest of history
The marble portal: an intimate dialogue between complex ornamental aspects and formal structure
Mosaic decoration
The side Portico: a combination of elegance and lightness of form
Biblical themes enlivened by the dazzling light of the stained – glass windows overlooking the naves
Worship services
Porphyry sarcophagi: royalty and power
The chorus: beating heart of the cathedral
Ecclesia munita
The plasticism of the main portico and Bonanno Pisano’s Monumental Bronze Door
The paradisiacal “Conca d’oro” that embraces Palermo: a name with countless faces through time
The side aisles
The architectural modifications ti the cathedral building after the death of Roger II and the transformations of the cloister
The Cefalù cathedral: a construction yard undergoing a change between a surge of faith and control over the territory
Norman religious architecture with islamic influences in Sicily
The Chapel of the Kings
A chapel by an unknown designer based on repeated symmetries
The original design
The medieval city amidst monasticism and feudal aristocracy
Layers of different cultures decorate the external apses
The Gualtiero Cathedral
Two initially similar towers, varied over time
The area of the Sanctuary
The beginning of the construction site
A mixture of styles pervades the floor decorations
Thirteenth-century iconography decorates the nave’s wooden ceiling, designed with new solutions
The Kings’ Cathedrals
A polysemy of high-level artistic forms and content
A tree full of life
The stone bible
The balance between architecture and light
Squaring the circle
The southern portico
Tempus fugit: a strategic project implemented in a short period of time
A new Cathedral
The king’s mark
A space between the visible and the invisible
The Great Presbytery: a unique space for the cathedral
The Virgin Hodegetria
Roger II of hauteville: a sovereign protected by God
The columns of the nave: the meticulous study of the overall order
Palermo: the happiest city
The chapel of san Castrense: an important renaissance work
The towers facing the facade used as bell towers
The senses tell Context 1
The construction of Monreale Cathedral: between myth and history
The decorated facade
The Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene
The chystro: a place between earth and sky
The transformations of the hall through the centuries
The Cathedral over the centuries
Artistic elements in Peter’s ship
Roger II’s strategic design
A compositional design that combines nordic examples with new artistic languages, over the centuries
The Great Restoration
The longest aisle
The chapel of St. Benedict
The rediscovered chapel
A Northern population
Survey of the royal tombs
A cloister of accentuated stylistic variety
From the Mosque to the Cathedral
The chapel of the crucifix: an artistic casket based on a previous model
The cultural substrate through time
The mosaics of the apses
A remarkable ceiling
A controversial interpretation
Gardens and architecture as a backdrop to the city of Palermo
Beyond the harmony of proportions
The liturgical spaces of the protesis and the diaconicon
The lost chapel
The dialogue between the architectures of the monumental complex
Cefalù: settlement evidence through time
The cemetery of kings
The links between the hauteville family and the monastic orders in Sicily
From the main gate to the aisles: an invitation to a journey of faith
Under the crosses of the Bema
MiC – Ministero della Cultura
Legge 77/2006 - Misure Speciali di Tutela e Fruizione dei Siti Italiani di Interesse Culturale, Paesaggistico e Ambientale, inseriti nella “Lista Del Patrimonio Mondiale”, posti sotto la Tutela dell’ UNESCO Regione Siciliana.
Assessorato dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana, Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana.
Parco archeologico della Valle dei Templi di Agrigento.